


Catching you

by Idealesss



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: M/M, Pre-Relationship, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23919163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idealesss/pseuds/Idealesss
Summary: This was it. It was KID's last heist. Pandora was destroyed, Snake put behind bars. Everybody gave it their all to make this the most memorable heist ever. Everybody but one detective.
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 4
Kudos: 295





	Catching you

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo! I just finished the NaNoWriMo training camp, so while I sort out the monster that will come out of it, here is a second one-shot, with OOC Kaito and Shinichi perhaps, but I liked them that way.

They met on the rooftop, as usual. But this time, it would be different, Kaito thought. Pandora laid broken inside one of his desk drawers, and Snake had been put behind bars months ago. His mission was accomplished. He had avenged his father, found what he had been looking for, and even enjoyed most of the ride. He had perfected his skills as a phantom thief, a magician, even as a man.

Today was a farewell gift for Nakamori-keibu and all his detectives. He had surpassed himself, giving them a magic show they would remember for years after. Even Hakuba had been moved, no matter how the british detective had tried to hide it. 

There had been only one person that hadn’t seemed to enjoy his show one bit. It hurt, because it was the person Kaito had wanted to impress the most.

The detective of the east, Heisei Holmes, savior of the metropolitan police was facing him, face closed, completely silent.

Tonight he hadn’t stolen anything. He had even said so in his notice. “The Last Show” did not, in fact, refer to the painting in the museum below them. It was his own. Of course he couldn’t resist messing with his task-force, so he had done his best to make them believe he had tried and failed to steal it. He was certain Nakamori-keibu had realized. He had been more frantic, had given his all to capture him. Hakuba had done the same. It had truly been a magnificent show.

Only one person hadn’t played the game. Kaito figured he was too stubborn to give up. Tantei-kun had let everyone else chase after the thief, glaring all evening at KID. Then, when he had felt the show was coming to an end, he had silently gone to the roof, not even bothering to check whether Kaito would indeed choose this escape route.

Of course, he had followed the detective. How could he not? He was sad that it would end like this. His Tantei-kun would yell at him, perhaps even insult him, and he would aggravate him, taunting him so that the detective would leave him alone on the rooftop, heart broken into thousands of pieces.

_Well,_ he thought, _better make this quick, like ripping off a bandaid._

“Tantei-kun, don’t you know it’s bad manners to run ahead of the prey you intend to catch? What if I had gone in another direction entirely?”

But his detective wasn’t up for games, it seemed. He kept his gaze focused on the thief, and didn’t speak up. This was going to be harder than he thought.

_Don’t do this to me, please. Play along._

“What’s this? Cat got your tongue, Meitantei?” He smirked. His poker face was pretty good tonight. It had to be, after all, it would be the last time KID wore it. But his heart constricted.

_Say something, damn it!_

The detective didn’t make a move, not even to try to catch him, he simply kept staring. It was unnerving. Kaito didn’t want to end things like this.

“Hey, are you alright?” He approached carefully. What was this guy playing at? Surely he had a few things to say to him, right? But the detective didn’t budge, even when Kaito was less than two feet from him.

Maybe provoking him would work? 

“You know, I get it. You’re upset. But it had to end at some point, right? You knew that, Nakamori-keibu knew that, everyone knew that. I know you do too. You can’t have missed the hints I gave of this being my last appearance. I couldn’t have you guys chasing after me for all eternity, right?”

Kaito knew Tantei-kun didn’t want this to end. He knew the detective had enjoyed the ride as much as he had. The heists were their playground, it was one of the only places where his Tantei-kun could go all out and not care about murderers or anyone getting hurt. Heists were fun, a honest (as much as a thief could make it, anyway) challenge that they both took great pleasure in. But he had to stop. Surely, his detective could understand?

Still no answer.

He sighed. “Come on, Tantei-kun, don’t do this to me. I did my very best for this last show, and everybody seemed to have fun. Only you sulked in your corner, no matter how many times I tried to coax you into joining. I even dressed Tantei-san as Watson just for you!”

Silence met him.

“You really don’t have anything to say to me? After all we lived through? After saving each other’s lives so many times it’s not even funny, after the take down, everything? You really want this goodbye to be so one-sided?”

His poker face was cracking, as was his voice. But he was getting angry.

“Do you even care a little about me, Tantei-kun? Or was I just a convenient distraction from your bloody daily life? A tool to be used only when you needed saving? Why won’t you give me what I want?”

His hands had reached the detective’s shoulders without him even noticing, and Kaito was shaking him. But there was no reaction, just a blank face staring straight into his soul.

He let his head fall on Shinichi’s torso. “You’re a selfish bastard, you know that? I just want you to say goodbye… Is that really too much to ask?”

He was coming apart in front of the detective, and the other wouldn’t so much as acknowledge his presence. He laughed miserably and let go.

“Okay. I get it.” He really didn’t.

“If you won’t say anything, I will.” He took a few steps back, and breathed deeply.

“Thank you, Tantei-kun. For helping me keep my sanity through everything. For saving my life, for not handing me over to the police when you could have done so many, many times. Thank you for keeping me on my toes, and challenging me so fully. I… Loved our games. Even if now I’m starting to think I was the only one enjoying myself.” He smiled bitterly.

He reached the edge of the rooftop, and turned his gaze one last time to the detective.

“So I guess this is it. Thank you… And goodbye.” He let himself fall, along with a single tear that quickly disappeared with the wind that rushed past his ears.

He didn’t look back.

* * *

The following day, Kaito felt dead to the world. He kept thinking back to the silent detective on the rooftop. That bastard. Why had he acted like that? Kaito couldn’t turn over a new leaf like this. The last string hadn’t been severed cleanly, it felt… incomplete.

“Bakaito! What the heck is wrong with you today?” His childhood friend demanded, fists on her hips. He didn’t feel like answering. Heh, some people did that, why not him, too?

“Aoko-san, maybe we should leave him alone. After all, he’s an honest man, now.” _Smug bastard_ , Kaito thought, watching from the corner of his eye Hakuba gently maneuver Aoko away from him.

“Eeh? What do you mean, Hakuba-kun?”

They left the classroom before he could hear the reply. He turned his head to the window. Class was over, he needed to get home soon.

…

He really didn’t feel like it. He didn’t feel like doing anything, to be honest. He was filled with frustration and thoughts about this stupid, ungrateful, _bratty_ detective.

Was a single word so hard to give? Kaito would have been content with just a simple ‘goodbye’. It would have hurt his feelings, for sure, but it was better than absolutely nothing! He could have worked with that!

“What the hell did you do, Bakaito?!”

“Huh?” He looked up at Aoko. She had apparently sprinted back to the classroom.

“What. Did. You. Do?” She pointed her finger at his face annoyingly.

He caught it and huffed. “Ahoko, what the hell are you talking about?”

“She’s curious as to the reason why Kudou Shinichi is asking for you at the school’s entrance, Kuroba-kun.” Hakuba was staring at him, a hint of worry on his face.

Kaito shot up from his chair. “Say what?!” He went to the window. Sure enough, there he was, leaning against the wall with an air of confidence that didn’t sit well in Kaito’s stomach. Maybe punching the bastard would make him feel better.

Kaito frowned. “What did he tell you?”

“He told Aoko that he was looking for an old family friend. He was quite insistent about it, saying he wouldn’t leave until he got to talk to you.” His friend replied, confusion evident in her voice. “But you don’t know him, do you?”

Kaito pinched the bridge of his nose. That bastard… Running away would be useless, it would be stupid to think otherwise. Since the detective knew who he was, there was nowhere left to hide. The sheer arrogance of this man!

What if his deduction was wrong, huh? What if he was harassing an innocent guy, did he think about that? Of course not, he was too selfish for that!

Very well. If he wanted to play, he would play. Kaito was so not going to give himself away like this. Not after he finally stopped being KID.

“I know he’s that detective that appears in the papers from times to times. I don’t know him personally, but I will find out what he wants, and tell him to go the hell away!” 

Furious, he took his bag and left the classroom without a second glance.

With each step, he tried to calm down. He carefully constructed his persona, piece by piece. Friendly, but clueless. Bland, clumsy… No, goofy. Kudou had probably heard rumours about him by now, so he would know about his magic. His character clear in his mind, Kaito walked up to the detective. He put on the most bland smile he could muster.

“Hi there! Kudou Shinichi, right? I’ve been told you were looking for me?” His own voice made him internally cringe.

Kudou looked him up and down, and smiled. “Hello, I’m Kudou Shinichi. Pleased to meet you, Kuroba Kaito!” He held a hand to Kaito.

_Is this guy for real?_

“Err, likewise, I guess?” He shook the detective’s hand, even if it was a really weird gesture for a Japanese to do. What was he thinking?

“Oh! You’re a magician, right?” Kudou still hadn’t let go of his hand. Kaito felt a chill going down his spine. He wouldn’t out him right then and there, would he? With the weird hand-thingy Hakuba said Holmes did?

“Y-Yes, Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire!” He gently freed his hand to present the detective with a small yellow rose.

Aoko and Hakuba joined them just in time to see the gesture. “Kaito, so you really didn’t know him?”

Before Kaito could reply, Shin-Kudo had stepped in. “Ah, sorry, Nakamori-san, was it? I might have confused you earlier. I said he was an old family friend, but in fact, it’s more like our parents were old friends, so Kuroba-san doesn’t really know me.”

Both Hakuba and Kaito stared at him. Honestly, did this guy really think he could bullshit his way through this? In front of another detective, no less?

“Is that so? Aoko’s never heard of Kudou-san’s family from Chikage-san, though.”

Shinichi smiled sheepishly. “Ah, yes, that would be because my parents are rarely home, they currently live in Las Vegas. But my mother trained under your father, Kuroba Toichi-san. She found some old pictures and wanted me to bring them over to you. We could look at them over a coffee? My treat?”

He had said the last words while looking at Kaito.

“Oh, so nice of you to come in person just for this! Kaito, I’ll see you later then. Have fun!”

“Kudou-kun,” Hakuba bowed goodbye.

“See you later, Hakuba-kun. Nakamori-san, it was a pleasure meeting you.” Kudou inclined his head too.

“Likewise!” She smiled at him and then they both left.

“Well, Kuroba-san, shall we?” Shini- _Kudou_ turned to him.

“Y-Yeah, sure!” _Hell no! I don’t want to have a freaking coffee with you over imaginary pictures!_

They walked side by side in silence until they spotted a small café round the corner.

“Is this place okay?” The detective asked.

“Yeah.” What did it matter anyway, they both knew this was a complete farce.

They ordered at the counter and found a small, secluded table. It was almost empty at this hour.

Kaito slid in his seat, opposite Kudou. He smiled. “So, you said you had pictures?”

Shinichi smiled back. “Yes, I have them right there, in this envelope. We don’t have copies, but if you would mark the ones you’d like, I’ll make sure to make them and give them to you.”

Kaito, still in character, opened the envelope to find… Pictures. Real pictures. Pictures of his father and three women making a ‘cheese’ pause, two of them he recognized as the actresses Sharon Vineyard and Kudou Yukiko. His father with Kudou Yukiko as his assistant. His mother and father with Kudou Yukiko again. His father with himself and… Kudou Shinichi, then really aged 7.

He stared at them, incomprehension on his face. It was… real? All the detective had said was the truth, he really was an old family friend. But why now? If he knew, why seek Kaito out now that he had severed his ties with him? Why not earlier?

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” Kaito raised his head to Kudou’s apologetic face.

“If I had known earlier, I would have done things differently. But a certain event forced me into action, and I started looking for clues, and… Well, I found what I was looking for.”

Kaito was too stunned to speak.

“When I received the notice, I instantly found it strange. It sounded too much like a goodbye and I…” The detective looked at his hands. “I didn’t want it to be over, like you said. So I seriously went after your identity, breaking all of our implicit rules. I wanted- no, I _needed_ to stop you from disappearing.”

He took a deep breath, then continued. “I had fully intended to taunt you yesterday. I wanted to force you to come to me, to try to make me shut up, even bribe me, if I could.” He smiled bitterly.

“But then the heist started, and… I don’t know. Seeing you, and everyone else, ignoring the proverbial elephant in the room, all of you giving your all, as if you were all resigned, as if this was really your last heist… I couldn’t accept that.”

“So I acted like a child, and gave you the silent treatment. The more you tried to make me play along, the more _stupid_ it felt to me. I was angry. You had no _right_ to take this from me. To take away my only nights of pure unadulterated joy. The only moments where I could be myself and not worry about anything else. Where I could match wits against a formidable opponent. I felt… Exhilarated at those heists.” His eyes grew distant, as if he was remembering those moments.

“At the time, I had only figured out your name. But I had no reason to meet with you as Kuroba Kaito, there were no ties left, you had cut them clean. I felt wronged, and I took it out on you. I ruined your last heist for you. And for that, I’m truly sorry.”

Kaito didn’t know what to say. It was okay though, because Shinichi was not done.

“I called my father last night, after the heist. I knew he had a friendly rivalry with your father, and I wanted advice. I wanted to know how he had handled your father’s disappearance.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Apparently much better than me. He kind of… made me realise a few things about myself, and he also told me that I would find those pictures in my mom’s old albums. So I took them, and I decided to try.”

He finally fell silent.

“Try what?” Croaked Kaito. There was a knot in his throat.

“Try to see if you could forgive me? And start over, perhaps? As friends, if nothing else?”

The look in the detective’s eyes was almost pleading. But Kaito wasn’t sure of what he was proposing. He cleared his throat.

“What do you mean, if nothing else?”

Shinichi blushed. “Ah, well… It doesn’t really matter, but… I think I kind of… fell in love with you?”

Kaito swallowed wrongly. He spluttered. “ _What?!_ ”

The detective squirmed. “Ah, forget it! I told you because I wanted to answer honestly, but I’m perfectly fine with you pretending I’m not in lo-...”

“ _Stop saying it!_ ” Kaito covered his ears with his hands, redder than a tomato.

“Sorry! I’m sorry! I won’t say it again!”

Silence fell over them. They were both so embarrassed Kaito was certain the temperature at their table was at least a few degrees higher than the rest of the place.

Finally, Shinichi pushed a piece of paper towards him and got up. “I’ll… Um, I’ll just… Go? And let you think about it. If… If you want, you can call me? Or if you don’t, you can just, ah, mail me the pictures or something?”

He was standing next to Kaito, shuffling his feet. He had never seen the detective like this. Before he could leave, Kaito made his decision and stopped him by the arm.

“Sit back down you idiot. Don’t embarrass me more.” He carefully didn’t look up. It didn’t stop him from hearing the relief in the detective’s voice.

“Ah, okay. Sure.”

“You… Are the most socially inept guy I’ve ever seen.”

Shinichi chuckled. “You’re not the first person to tell me that.”

Kaito finally looked up. This idiot was smiling. “It was not a compliment.”

The other smiled even more. “I know.”

“Who in their right mind confesses to the person they officially introduced themselves to only _minutes_ before?” He said indignantly. Why was he so damn relaxed now?

“Yeah, well, Ran always says that I’m a single-minded guy.”

“Are you sure she didn’t say crazy?”

Shinichi outright laughed this time. “She might have said that too.” And then, he looked straight into Kaito’s eyes. “But you still haven’t answered.”

Kaito blushed. “I…”

“You?” This time the bastard was smirking at him. Oh he thought he had Kaito all figured out now, huh?

“I find you awfully cocky for someone who doesn’t know if he’s going to be rejected or not.”

“That’s because I’ve already won. Even if you do reject me, you will still agree to be my friend. You would have let me go otherwise, and you wouldn’t be toying with my number either.”

Kaito looked at his traitorous hands. He did have the incriminating piece in them. He made the paper disappear. “I don’t care about your number.”

“Yeah, since it’s already in your phone’s contact list.”

Kaito stared. “How did you-...”

Shinichi smiled cheekily. “I didn’t, but you just confirmed it for me. And you still have Conan’s, of course.”

“I threw that one away ages ago.” Kaito bluffed.

“Don’t lie. Lying is for phantom thieves. And you’re not one, not anymore.”

This guy was so… ”Alright. You win, detective. Yes, I happen to have kept a memento or two of a cute little critic. He was much better than his adult-sized counterpart.”

“Perhaps.” Shinichi leaned towards him. “But I don’t think you would have wanted to kiss that little guy.”

Kaito reddened again. “What makes you think I would want to do that with you?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you show me whether I’m right or wrong?”

There. This was it. If Kaito really wanted to put the guy back in his place, it was now. Or… He could call Shinichi’s bluff and really go for it, right here, right now. _That_ would teach him not to mess with the former Kaitou KID. And eventually throw them out of the café.

_Worth it_ , his mind supplied.

He changed his countenance entirely, letting KID seep through his persona. Slowly, and without ever looking away from the detective’s gaze, he took the other’s chin in one hand, bringing him closer.

“Oh, detective, you should know by now that I am up to _any_ kind of challenge.”

And he kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave me constructive criticisms, it really helps me write better! That, and if you simply enjoyed it, feel free to let me know!


End file.
